First lite obsidian pant

Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
418
Location
bend, oregon
Looking for some experiences with this pant early September high country mule deer in hot weather through September archery and October rifle elk hunts. Temp and durability.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Messages
1,725
Location
Lenexa, KS
Great pant, keeps you cool in the heat and decently warm in the cold, especially with a base layer underneath. One of the most comfortable pair of pants I have ever worn. Durability is an issue, however I've gone through a lot of gnarly brush and come out just fine. I have one small hole that was contained in the ripstop. (used them for two seasons thus far) I highly recommend these pants, especially in September.
 

BCSojourner

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 24, 2018
Messages
201
Location
Kremmling, CO
I have not been impressed with the durability on the Obsidians. I am a huge First Lite fan and have several pairs of the older Kanabs which I feel are much more durable. It seems as is the Kanabs were sewn in a rip-stop pattern - not the same with the Obsidians. I tried exchanging mine after I used them just a couple of times and they were already showing abnormal wear but was told that they were ok. Later I noticed a tear in them but have been wearing the Kanabs for several years with nary a tear. As far as weight goes for early season hunting, all of the First Lite merino pants are hard to beat plus they can be worn for days without 'stink' setting in. You can roll them up and hook them on the buttons near the knees when it is really warm. I swear by them for Colorado high country September hunts but question the durability on the Obsidians. All of them are great for use early and even late in snow (with a set of long johns) and gaiters.
 

303TrophyHusband

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 19, 2017
Messages
273
Location
MT
Bought a pair in solid to wear around and test out this winter, extremely comfortable and fit is super nice. I've read a lot about durability issues with them and honestly haven't noticed, I hike a ton all winter and like to go offroad with the intent of dragging through brush and haven't ripped them yet but there's definitely a difference between hiking and bowhunting so we'll see. I personally think they're a little too heavy for me during early archery so I'll probably stick to my Sitka Ascent pants BUT if I were buying one pair of pants to cover everything I'd probably go with the Obsidians and roll them up if I get too hot, or the Apex from Sitka.
 

wyoguy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 23, 2015
Messages
158
I wore a pair this past year as my early September pant they held up fine, they were comphy and quiet. One thing I felt like my legs got scratched and beat up from busting brush with them only thing I didn't like about them.
 

rm06

WKR
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
414
Location
CO
I owned the Obsidians briefly season before last and they are a step up from the Kanabs and do an outstanding job of regulating temperature. I can see brush busting as an issue with most lighter weight early season pants.

I wish FL pants fit me better, I really like what they're doing but if I can't wear them it doesn't do much for me.
 
OP
M
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
418
Location
bend, oregon
I owned the Obsidians briefly season before last and they are a step up from the Kanabs and do an outstanding job of regulating temperature. I can see brush busting as an issue with most lighter weight early season pants.

I wish FL pants fit me better, I really like what they're doing but if I can't wear them it doesn't do much for me.

Was the fit too loose or too tight? I’ve got big legs so a more roomy fit is best for me.
 

rm06

WKR
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
414
Location
CO
Was the fit too loose or too tight? I’ve got big legs so a more roomy fit is best for me.

They're too roomy in the wrong places and too tight in others. My Kanabs are simply too short but the Obsidians were MC Hammer style. I'm 6' 190 but in the pic I was probably closer to 210
FLobs.jpg


ETA - this is a sample size of one, YMMV. I'm not bashing FL, I love everything they have with the exception of their pants
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 10, 2019
Messages
1
My obsidians tore in 3 different places on a archery elk hunt in Idaho.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

K_pem

WKR
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Messages
622
Location
Post Falls, ID
These pants are awesome for their regulatory qualities, especially without hip zips, but i couldn't justify keeping mine. With the amount of brush busting we do in north Idaho, they just wouldn't stand up. I ended up going to the corrugates mid way through last season. This year i switched to the KUIU Kutana for the hip zips and light weight and i'm very happy with them thus far.
 
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